Asked if he expects to declare a national emergency on the wall funding issue, Trump told reporters: “I don’t want to say it, but you’ll hear the State of the Union, and then you’ll see what happens right after the State of the Union.”

“(W)e’re going to make a big step in the next week or so, prior to my doing anything, but actually having a national emergency does help the process,” he added later, speaking at a White House anti-human-trafficking event.

Asked again if a national emergency should be expected, the President said: “I think there’s a good chance that we’ll have to do that. But we will at the same time be building, regardless, we’re building a wall. And we’re building a lot of wall. But I can do it a lot faster the other way.”

“Well, I’m saying listen closely to the State of the Union. I think you’ll find it very exciting,” Trump said.